Mole trap



C. A. WYMAN May 3,1927.

MOLE TRAP Filed June 20, 1925 INVENTOR Chm/Ans A Hyman BY W Patented May 3, 1927.

un izr isiuw s-riafirasg; Parent; OFFICE.

CHARLES A. WYMAN,.OF AUBURN, WASHINGTON.

MOLE TRAP.

Application filed JuneQO, 1925': Serial No. SS/LOB.

This invention relates to mole traps; and its object is to provide a trap of this charac ter which will be ot simple and inexpensive construction, convenient to set, and efficient in operation.

The-invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l isa side elevation ot'a moletrap embodying my. improvements, the trap being illustrated inits set position;-Fig. 2 is a view of thesame, (partly in iront elevation and- =partly invertical section, said section being on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on -line 3--3 of Fig.2; and Fig i is a rear elevation of the-upper portion of the trap. :showing the plunger held in its safety position.

The frame of thetrap consists-o1". a vertical standard 5, preterablyot an oblong rectangular shape, having rigidly secured to its lower end two pairs of legs 6 and 6 As'shown,.-the complementary legs of each pair thereof are formed integral with hori- .zontal bar elements? and 7 "respectively, and are secured to the frontyand rear surifacesotthe' standard 5 by means of bolts 8 passing through said bar elements. The legs, moreover, are bent as at 9 to provide oiiset lower portions 10 which are substantially parallel with the standard 5. The oft-setting of: the legs afford space between the legs at each end of the trap, see Figs. 1 and 3, to extend into the earth at opposite sides of a mole runway which is indicated by A. The trap is provided with a plunger of substantially the shape of an inverted letter U, having a horizontal rod element 11 and pointed side elements 12 which extend downwardly through guides 13 secured to the opposite sides of the standard. Said plunger is also guided in a way for the plunger element 11, said way being provided between the front surface of the standard and a guide rod 14; secured to the latter.

15 represents a slot provided in the standard to receive the plunger element 11 whereby the plunger is temporarily held in its safety position when setting or regulating the trap.

16 represents an arm pivotally connected as by a screw 17 to said standard and adapt- Securedasiby means of a screw :18 to the upperportion of the standard is one arm of a scar spring 19having its striking arm 20 extended through a guide'slot 21 oi the standard into engageable relation with the plunger at or about the midlength of its horizontal element 11.

Thespring arm 20 is releasably held in operative position upon the shoulder 22 of a lever 23 which is tulcrumed to a pin-or -.screw 2 L secured to the standard at one side of its slot 21.

The free end-oi the lever 23 is engaged bya trip-arm 25 tulcrumed to a staple 26 at one side. oi? the standard. Said trip-arn'i is provided, preferably at-its tree end, with. a

linger. 25 v which extends downwardly into engageable relation with the upwardly di-' rected arm 27 of a lever which is :tulcrumed at 28, the other arm 290i this lever extenddownwardly into the runway A when m use. a

The lever 27-29 constitutes the trap trigger and is guided by an attachment 30 of the 30 standard for swinging-movements trans verselyof the standard, or longitudinally of the .runway.

To set the trap, -the operator-grasps the standard 5 in one hand and with his other 35 hand raises the springs striking arm 20 by means of the plunger whose element 11 he lodges in the groove 15 and within which said element is temporarily held in its safety position as represented in Fig. 4 by means of the arm 16.

Such positioning of the plunger elements is also indicated by dotted lines 11 and 12 in Fig. 3. The lever 23 is then moved from its dotted line position 23 into its full line position in Fig. 2, its free end being engaged by the trip arm 25 which, in turn, is held in its Fig. 2 position by means of the trigger arm 27 engaging the arm finger 25 A section of earth is then removed from above the 1 mole runway A as indicated for example by B between dotted lines C in Fig. 1.

The trap is secured in the position in which it is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 to have the legs 6 and 6 respectively, engage 1 in the ground at opposite sides of the runway and the trigger arm 29 extend into the latter. In case bait is to be used on the trigger arm, it is necessary to remove the ed to be swung into the position. in which it earth above the runway A .as, for example,

is shown in Fig. 4 to prevent the accidental the section indicated by B between dotted displacement of the plunger from the slot 15. lines C in Fig. 1.. Where such earth is removed loose earth is employed to close, as indicated by D in Fig. 2, the runway below the opening and also the opening itself in place oil. the section B. The closing of the runway as above explained is of advantage even though no bait be employed. With the trap thus arranged. the plunger is withdrawn from the groove and pushed down to have the plunger points engaged in the ground and the rod element 11 of the plunger located in spaced relation below the posit-ion in which the striking arm of the spring is held by means of the lever shoulder A mole in traveling through the runway in either direction encounters the trigger arm 29, or otherwisdisturbs it, in a manner to cause the other arm 27 of the trigger to become disengaged from the finger 9K1 of the trip arm whereupon the lever is thrust iii aside. as at 23 by the power ot the spring 19, thereby permitting the striking arm 20 to violently engage the plunger to start the same and $0110 r it so that the plunger is driven downwardly with such force as to impale the mole upon one or the other of the plunger prongs.

lVhat I claim, is,

l. The combination with a trap frame having a slot, a plunger mounted for relative vertical movements to said t 'ame, a sear spring for imparting downward movement to said plunger, said spring having one of its arms secured to the frame and its other arm extend through said slot into striking relation with the plunger, and a trigger fulcrumed to the frame, of connections between the trigger and the spring for releasably rctaining the striking arm of latter in operative relation with respect to the plunger, said connections including a lever provided with a shoulder which is engageable with the spring for supporting the striking arm thereof and a trip arm controlled by the trigger for releasably retaining the lever in engaged relation with the spring.

2. A mole trap comprising a vertical standard and two pairs of spaced apart supporting legs therefor, said standard being provided with a vertical slot, a plunger of substantially the shape of an inverted letter 3.! connected for vertical movements to the standard, a spring connected to said standard and having a striking arm extending through said slot, a lever pivotally connected to the standard, said lever having a shoulder engaging the spring for normally supporting said striking arm and permit movement of the plunger independently of the spring, a trigger pivotally connected intermediate its length to the standard, and a trip arm engageable with the trigger and also with said lever to releasably hold the latter until the trip arm is disengaged with respect to the trigger.

3.15. mole trap as defined in claim 2 wherein the standard is formed with a recess providing a seat for supporting the plunger in its safety position, and means for releasably securing the plunger within said recess.

Signed at Seattle, WVashington, this 29th day of May 1925.

CHARLES A. WYMAN. 

